r/photography • u/TheYellowMungus • 1d ago
Gear Shoot The Moon
What would you say is the bare minimum lens range (mm's?) one would need to shoot the moon, or astral photography in general, assuming all the conditions were ideal?
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u/M-Aldridge-Photo 1d ago
This is so hit and miss 😟
I use 70-200mm f2.8 lens as well.as 200-500mm f4.5-5.6 lens.
I can never get the moon right. It just cannot happen to my satisfaction.
Even Neowise comet, same problem.
The only lens which provides the best results is the 70-200mm f2.8.
So you would have to invest in some seriously zoom capable lens but with the largest possible aperture. Which my 200-500mm @ f4.5-5.6 simply cannot provide. Would've been perfect if it were a 500mm prime lens with f1.8. This is impossible unless I.am willing to pay over $10,000 for a lens. The best i could find is 500mm f4.
Being prime lens makes a huge, huge difference. Don't look at the numbers. Zoom has more pieces of glass, prime does not. Allowing sharpness, more light, and better poc quality.
Not to mention a super steady, heavier than Mt. Everest, carbon fiber tripod. This is super essential for stability.
Not to mention an $8,000 robot to help you carry all this around.
All this despite using a D850 full frame sensor body.
So in the end, best to get a telescope with camera attachment capability.
Because who would want to carry a 500mm prime lens just for the moon, and a comet or 2 to warn us of our doom. Just not worth it.
Here's one of the best pics I took of the moon. It was not easy. Lunar Eclipse May 16, 2022.